National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has gazetted the approval of the nomination of Kithure Kindiki as Deputy President by the House.
The Speaker noted that the House, at its sitting held on October 18, 2024, in the National Assembly at the main Parliament Building, “voted in favour of the nomination of Kithure Kindiki to fill the vacancy in the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.”
The House had earlier in the day approved the nomination of Kindiki, who is Interior Cabinet Secretary as the new Deputy President, a day after the Senate voted to impeach Rigathi Gachagua.
The decision comes after President William Ruto nominated Kindiki as his deputy on Friday. Kindiki, a close ally of Ruto, has held the interior ministry post throughout Ruto’s two years as president.
He previously served as senator for Tharaka-Nithi County and was a top contender to be Ruto’s running mate during the 2022 election. Some 236 MPs voted to confirm Kindiki as Deputy President.
There were no abstentions and no one voted against it.
"The nomination is herewith declared passed by the House and the Speaker will transmit the result to the president and the speaker will also sign a gazette notice to this effect," Wetang'ula said.
The Constitution says that once the president submits the nomination to the National Assembly, MPs shall vote to reject or endorse the name.
There is also no requirement for a two-thirds majority. Questions had earlier been raised by a section of MPs on whether the house could approve Kindiki’s nomination on the same day.
Wetang’ula in his communication said voting will be done on Friday because it is within the constitutional timelines.
“Nomination and voting of Kithure Kindiki on the same day is within the constitutional timeline provided for in the constitution,” he said.
On subjecting the nomination of the deputy president to public participation, the Speaker said the exercise was not applicable in this particular matter.